Sunday, April 27

At least 14 people were killed after a massive explosion at a port in Iran, with investigations into its cause now taking place.

The explosion took place at the port of Bandar Abbas, a city located in southern Iran on the Strait of Hormuz. Videos taken by locals in the area showed a sizeable blast at the Shahid Rajaee section of the port before gigantic, black clouds of smoke began erupting from the scene. The explosion seemed to have happened inside a warehouse on the port, but the effects stretched wider than expected-- various structures across the area were heavily damaged by the force of the blast, and windows were shattered on buildings as far as several miles away.

The fire continued for hours, and local firefighters are still working to extinguish the last of it. Helicopters were also brought in to handle the flames, which raged out of control for quite some time.

14 people were killed, over 750 others were injured, and officials have confirmed that at least 6 people are still missing. Officials have also advised residents of Bandar Abbas, which has a population of around 660,000 people, to stay indoors, as they have recorded a significant drop in air quality since the explosion occurred.

An investigation into the explosion is now taking place, with Iranian authorities working to determine the cause of the incident. Some reports have stated that the blast can be attributed to several dangerous chemicals being stored in containers at the location, and a local news source also added that the explosion occurred in the area of the port used to handle chemicals.

However, officials have not confirmed an exact cause yet, establishing that they can only come up with a conclusive answer once a thorough investigation has been completed.

Fact of the Day (Today): Mother platypuses sweat milk, and their babies actually lick the milk off of their skin instead of suckling like other animals.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. (Cornelius Vanderbilt)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Nonchalant (adj, nahn-shuh-LAHNT) - Someone described as nonchalant is relaxed and calm, either because they do not care about something or because they are not worried about something. Nonchalant can also be used to describe something, such as demeanor or behavior, that expresses such relaxed, calm unconcern.

In a Sentence: The team showed a somewhat nonchalant attitude at the beginning of the season, but they became more serious once the championship was within reach.